Brianna Bush interned at Appalachian Wellness Primary Care in Campton, Kentucky. During her time she got first-time, hands-on experience in a clinical setting. She is currently in the nursing program at the University of Kentucky, hoping to pursue a career in rural healthcare. She got to shadow a nurse practitioner who taught her what the future looks like as a provider in Appalachia, stating, "How incredible is it that I got to get a glimpse of exactly the kind of provider I want to be! I am now more confident than ever in my pursuits to serve in Eastern Kentucky."

Trinity Adams is currently studying Psychology and Art Studio at the University of Kentucky as an undergrad, with the hopes of later specifying in the field of Art Therapy in Graduate School. This summer, Trinity worked as an intern at two separate domestic abuse shelters: Hazard LKLP shelter and Greenhouse 17 in Lexington. During Trinity’s time there, she learned more about the effects of trauma on individuals, was able to participate in and observe group therapy sessions of residents, as well as coordinate and lead activities with the younger members of the community. Trinity’s favorite experience this summer during AppCorps was helping to lead a group painting activity with the kids! She strongly encourages anyone who feels inspired to spark change within their communities, or the greater Appalachian region, to consider the AppCorps program for a potential summer internship!

Ben Vickery worked as an intern at Faith Healthcare, a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Through Ben's role as an intern with Faith, he was able to complete projects including HIPAA confidentiality and privacy training, emergency procedures training, bloodborne pathogens training, physical and electronic filing, reviewing patient/provider charts to ensure accuracy in spreadsheets, typing and revising word documents on new patient packets, new hire packets, manuals, etc., and working with the COO in collaboration with HR to complete a wide variety of tasks. Ben's favorite experience at Faith was getting the opportunity to meet with the executives and some of the healthcare professionals of the organization to learn about what they do on a daily basis. Ben recommends that any student who is interested in service of Appalachia, whether it be in healthcare or not, should consider participating in AppalachiaCorps in the future!

Hannah Allen worked as a volunteer at King's Daughter's Medical Center in their radiology department. Through Hannah's role, she was able to have patient interactions, watch technicians perform imaging modalities, and help them reset the space for other patients. Hannah's favorite experiences were watching the interventional radiologist perform procedures. Hannah suggests any students interested in service of the Appalachia to consider participating in AppalachiaCorps.

Eryk Bennetti worked as an intern at LiKEN Knowledge as a Research Assistant Intern. This summer, Eryk was able to complete projects including researching sources for residents of eastern Kentucky to use when curious about their water systems, researched and built a water system toolkit for Harlan County, engaged with the community of Martin County during water board meetings, and researched problems associated with decaying water systems in eastern Kentucky. Eryk's favorite experience at LiKEN was learning how complex the region is and the amount of collaboration between individuals and organizations that is needed to maintain healthy water systems. Eryk suggests that any student interested in service of Appalachia consider participating in AppalachiaCorps in the future.

Cierra Ledford worked as an intern at the Sunup Initiative in Corbin, Kentucky, working on racial justice issues in the area and toward creating a more welcoming and inclusive community. Through Cierra's work over the course of the summer, Cierra was able to conduct several community meetings, update Sunup's website, oversee Sunup's social media, and run an informational booth at Corbin's local festival, Nibroc. Cierra's favorite experience was tabling at Nibroc, stating, "By setting up a booth at Nibroc, I was able to personally impact my community in a positive and meaningful way." Cierra suggests any student interested in serving Appalachia consider participating in AppalachiaCorps in the future!

Jacob Johnson worked with the Appalachian Land Study, a collaborative organization that brings scholars from throughout the Appalachian South together, examining relationships to land and documenting patterns of land and resource ownership and the revenues they generate. In his time with the Land Study, he worked on creating materials for the public and organized data from all states. Jacob said about his experiences, "It was eye opening to learn how difficult it is to understand property taxes, and if there's things that the Land Study still needs to know, the public needs to know it even more." Jacob highly recommends the program to any student curious to know more about Appalachia, whether it’s home to them or not.

This past summer, Michael Buoncristiani interned at the Highlands Housing Corporation in Wayne County. With the Highlands housing program, Michal worked with the team to help construct efficient housing for families in the Appalachian region. Michael states, “This experience has fueled my desire to serve the Appalachian region for years to come.” After his internship, Michael will be enrolling in Medical School at UK and he still plans to volunteer with Highlands Housing. Michael strongly recommends the AppalachiaCorps program to any student interested in serving the Appalachian region.

Lauren Depa worked as an intern at Baptist Health Corbin as an anesthesia technician. Through Lauren's role as an anesthesia technician, Lauren was able gain experience in patient care and learn about anesthesia and surgical specialties. This included helping with pre-operative and post-operative patient care, performing daily checks of anesthesia machines and supplies, assisting anesthesia professionals to get patients ready for surgery, and watching many surgeries from a variety of different surgical specialties. Lauren's favorite experience at Baptist Health Corbin was being able to assist anesthetists in performing nerve blocks and epidurals, as well as applying the EKG leads, blood pressure cuffs, and pulse oximeters before surgeries. She said, "After learning about the nerve blocks and epidurals for a few weeks, it was rewarding to finally be able to assist these procedures. It solidified the knowledge I had learned from observing, and I enjoyed being able to simultaneously help patients and the medical care team." Lauren highly recommends any student interested in serving communities in Appalachia to consider participating in the AppalachiaCorps Program in the future!

Trinity Adams worked as an intern at the Cowan Community Center in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Through Trinity’s role of an intern, she was able to work with the local “Kids on the Creek” Camp, Whitesburg Farmer’s Market, and Levitt Amp Concert Series in Letcher County. Trinity’s favorite experience over the summer was helping with a program that allowed local children a safe place to learn and play after the flooding that highly impacted eastern Kentucky. She says, “I am incredibly happy that I got to be a part of a program that allowed me to help my community, and the experiences of this summer will continue to impact me throughout my life. I highly recommend students to participate in AppalachiaCorps in the future!”

Nolan Blakeman worked as an Intern at LiKEN Knowledge. During their time, Nolan had the responsibility of helping LiKEN with two research projects: “Where Credit is Due” and “Martin County Stories of Place.” Nolan also wrote two blog posts for LiKEN's website. Nolan's favorite experience was the trip they took to Martin County, Kentucky, to help conduct an open mic night in the community, as well as interview a participant in the Where Credit is Due project. Nolan thinks AppalachiaCorps is a wonderful experience for anyone who enjoys Appalachia and wants to get some experience in the region.

Macie Hatfield worked as an intern at SOAR, a nonprofit organization focusing on development in eastern Kentucky. Through Macie's role as an intern, she was able to complete projects focusing on brain drain and youth retention in eastern Kentucky and the grater Appalachian region. Macie's favorite experience at SOAR was attending one of their summits and being able to interact with all the attending organizations that are also working in the region. Macie highly encourages anyone interested in eastern Kentucky and Appalachia to consider working with AppalachiaCorps in the future!

Lily-Kate Hubbs worked at the Baptist Health Physical Rehab unit in Corbin, Kentucky, as a PT tech. Through Lily-Kate's role as a PT tech, Lily-Kate assisted in physical therapy exercises and completed bed-to-chair transfers. Lily-Kate's favorite experience at the physical rehab unit was getting to see patients walk again. She says, "It's amazing getting to see what a few weeks of therapy can do for these patients. They are a brand new person!" Lily-Kate suggests any student interested in the service of Appalachia consider participating in AppalachiaCorps in the future.

Alan Luc engaged and collaborated with the Lexington and UK community through a student-led coordinating committee which focuses on planning for a major festival in the fall 2022 – The Many Mountains Fall Festival at UK. The Many Mountains Fall Festival event programming bridges cultural differences within the Appalachian region. For the summer, Alan worked with a number of organizations including Mountain Fiesta based out of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, and lead a student coordinating committee composed of diverse student leaders to plan and execute the festival. He held weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the coordinating committee, mediated all communications with community partners, strategized and executed final preparations and gained invaluable communication, leadership, PR, and event planning experiences. Alan advocates for cultural diversity and inclusion as a Vietnamese-American from Middlesboro, Kentucky (Bell County) and believes that everyone can be connected and celebrated through universal languages of food, culture, and music. He says, “My experience with the AppalachiaCorps was very inspirational and motivating to be a part of a cohort that shared a common interest and goal.”

Courtney Martin worked as an intern at the Laurel County Health Department. During her time as an intern, Courtney had the opportunity to help conduct a community needs assessment where she was able to engage with community leaders and members of Laurel County. Courtney said, “Through my experience with AppalachiaCorps, my assessments allowed me to better understand the unique challenges faced by the community residents and work to develop tailored solutions that could effectively address those problems.” Courtney deeply enjoyed her time as an intern and appreciated the opportunity to work directly with her community to help improve the lives and overall well-being of people in Appalachia. Courtney recommends that any student who is interested in serving Appalachia consider participating in AppalachiaCorps.

Mack Thompson (they/them) is a multi-disabled anthropology student at the University of Kentucky. The AppalachiaCorps program made it possible for Mack to intern with the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, where they created the Disabled in Kentucky Oral History Project, a project that consists of over thirty interviews with disabled people and people with disabilities across Kentucky. Mack’s project was later developed and presented at the Appalachian Center: Sharing Work in Appalachia Program.

Olivia Thornsbury worked as an intern at Pikeville Medical Center in Pikeville, Kentucky, as an Observation Volunteer. Through her work at PMC, she was able to attain priceless experience in the medical field that is directly applicable to her future profession. Beyond shadowing experience, her internship also provided endless exposure to patients and how to interact with them. Her favorite experience was interacting with surgeons she shadowed after watching their procedure, stating, “The surgeons and staff at PMC are so willing to share their expertise. I was able to take their advice firsthand, as well as networking within my field of choice. I will continue to observe and volunteer at PMC, well past the end of my internship.” Olivia highly recommends the AppalachiaCorps program to any student interested in serving the Appalachian community through medicine, as her experience was stellar.

Logan Turner worked as an intern at Pikeville Medical Center. Through Logan's role as an intern, he was exposed to a wide range of physician specialties in surgery and clinic settings. He stated, "I had the opportunity to shadow nearly every different physician specialty at the hospital for at least one day each. I've been fortunate to have seen upwards of eighty cataract surgeries, the challenges a hospitalist faces while managing entire floor of patients, a pathologist dissecting an amputated leg, hip and knee replacement surgeries, seven gallbladder removals, and one C-section." Logan believes that the AppalachiaCorps program was the best avenue to facilitate this extensive of an experience and that he suggests any student interested in Appalachia consider looking into AppalachiaCorps.

Logan Turner, a native of Floyd County, worked as an intern at Pikeville Medical Center. Through his role as an Operating Room Intern, Logan was able to assist operating room staff with communication with patients and family and regularly shadow physicians during operations and clinical hours. Logan's favorite experience at PMC was being able to work with a patient before cataract surgery, shadow the physician during the surgery, then speak with the patient afterwards and hear how the procedure had helped him regain vision. Logan is thankful that the AppalachiaCorps program can provide students with unique and interesting opportunities that can further their career goals and understandings of the region. Logan hopes to attend medical school and eventually practice as a retina-specialist ophthalmologist in eastern Kentucky.

This summer Ashley Watkins worked as an intern at LiKEN (Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network) as the Martin County Stories of Place Web Developer. Through her experience at LiKEN, Ashley was able to begin web development for Stories of Place, organize a website accountability team made primarily of Martin County citizens, and build connections with the University of Kentucky's Nunn Center for future projects. Ashley's favorite experience at LiKEN was learning more about the people of Martin County. "Through this project," Ashley states, "I have been able to build lasting connections with likeminded individuals focused on showing the true beauty of Appalachia. Because of these connections, I will be able to continue my web development position on Martin County Stories of Place." Ashley recommends any student interested in service or cultural exploration to participate in AppalachiaCorps.

This summer Danica Moon worked as an intern at Fahe, the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises. By working under the organization's president, Danica was able to build a thorough understanding of what it's like to work in a nonprofit focusing on housing access and economic development. She worked on a blog post for Fahe's social media channels regarding the American Rescue Plan and other stimulus bills, and how they will impact Appalachia. Danica recommends AppalachiaCorps to those considering applying, saying "Even if you're not sure if a certain organization or field is one you'd like to work in long-term, give it a try for the summer. Some of my most valuable lessons from the experience centered around both what I want and don't want from a career and from a workplace, and what feels most fulfilling for me".

Through the AppalachiaCorps student internship program this summer, Clayton Dalton worked at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, KY, as an intern and resident assistant for their Summer Youth Programs. Through Clayton's role as an intern, he was able to help students from Appalachia participate in STEM exploration, civic engagement, leadership enhancement, and experiential learning. One of Clayton's favorite experiences was helping students at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute identify, create, and pitch a business idea to a board of investors from the Appalachian region. Of the experience, he says, "Working with the students at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute has shown me just how bright the youth of Appalachia truly are. This is the next generation of business and civic leaders and I am so grateful to have been able to watch their minds at work." Clayton suggests any student interested in service to Appalachia consider participating in AppalachiaCorps in the future!

Haley Shepherd worked as an intern at the Center for Health Equity Transformation at the University of Kentucky. Through Haley's role as an intern, she was able to complete projects including creating health infographics for the organization's website, learning about research ethics and health inequities in Kentucky, and interviewing graduate research assistants to write personalized articles for the website. Haley's favorite experience was learning about the research process, stating, "After developing my own research question and performing my first literature review, I now feel more prepared to conduct future research and join new research teams!"

Hayden Simon worked as an intern at the Living Arts & Science Center as the Science Education Intern. Through Hayden's role as the Science Education intern, Hayden was able to spend time in the classrooms with students teaching lessons on the Appalachian region, including lessons on its art, history, and environmental issues. Hayden's favorite lesson to teach was Appalachian weaving and watching all the students have fun creating awesome functional weaving art out of cups and yarn! Hayden highly recommends the AppalachiaCorps for any student interested in service to Appalachia.

Larah Ballard worked as an intern at the Nunn Center for Oral History on UK's campus. Through Larah's role as intern, they were able to do first-hand research for their undergraduate oral history project. Larah is from Montgomery County and is also active in Appalachian music circles.

Austin Huff was a 2021 summer intern with the Appalachian Citizens Law Center in Whitesburg. Austin is a native of Knott County majoring in Political Science and minoring in Appalachian Studies. In his role he had the opportunity to work on projects that involve clean water access, and federal black lung litigation. During his time, he contributed significantly to the projects, and even had the opportunity to work with attorneys on different clients' cases. Austin says that his summer as an AppalachiaCorps intern was invaluable and he would recommend serving Appalachia for the summer to anybody!

Rachel Endicott was an intern at Madison Middle School through the AppalachiaCorps program in Richmond, Ky. She was an assistant to the school guidance counselor there and was responsible for decluttering and organizing unused storage areas, sorting educational materials leftover from state testing, logging student data onto the school archives, and assisting teachers and students throughout the month-long summer school program. Rachel's favorite experience was helping the summer school students build robots for a teamwork exercise and competition at the end of the summer program. "My experience at this internship through AppalachiaCorps strengthened my desire to become a school guidance counselor and will definitely prepare me for future work in K-12 educational institutions.

Jessica Miller worked as an intern at the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center in Ashland, Kentucky. She was able to complete interesting projects such as a script for the haunted house the museum will be hosting and conducting crafts with children. Jessica feels a lot more secure in her career plans and her 8 competency as a worker as a result of her internship. She recommends any self-starting student to participate in the program as it provides valuable insight and work experience.

Lainey Cox worked as an intern at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, a nonprofit organization in Harlan County, Kentucky. The course is the area's main source of tourism and means a lot to the community. Through Lainey's role as an intern Lainey was able to plan and organize different tournaments and scrambles that raised money for other nonprofit organizations in the county. Lainey was able to learn skills in social media, website design, and professional communication. All skills in which she is thankful to have learned. She remarked, "Overall, my experience was amazing, and I plan to use the skills I learned in my future career."

Madison Roark worked as an intern for the SunUp Initiative in Corbin. Through Madison’s role as a SunUp intern she was able to do many outreach events such as a Vigil in Remembrance of Victims of Racial Violence, a booth at the Nibroc festival, and going into many classrooms teaching inclusive lessons. Madison’s favorite experience was being able to go to the Vigil in Remembrance of Victims of Racial Violence because it was a safe space where healing occurred and love and mutual respect was shared. Madison encourages students interested in service of Appalachia to consider participating in AppalachiaCorps in the future!